Political horse trading is a behavioral reflection of the Pakistani society

There were clouds of concern as to whether the elections would be held. If yes, then would they be held on time? All these concerns and fear were set aside and 3rd March, 2018 passed as another landmark day in Pakistan’s democratichistory.

Before the polling day, the whole political fraternity was buzzing with the word “horse trading” and still is. ‘Fish rots from the head’; probably this proverb perfectly described the whole activity of recently concluded Senate Elections 2018.

We breathe in a society where majority either don’t know the meaning of horse trading or the same majority do not think this as something condemnable. To buy conscience of any politician is a highlight of our political culture. This time around, it was also a conscious effort by the political heads to bid for the conscience of those who are supposedly representatives of common people.

Talking about this horse trading scenario, it was nothing but the reflection of behavioral attitude of the whole society. You name any institution and you will find conscience-less individuals in considerable count. We as nation perhaps lack the sense of word “responsibility”. When a common man of this country thinks that a particular person took bribe but he simultaneously has done some appreciable work too, within a second that dirt of ‘bribe’ gets cleaned from the mind. Where such is the thinking, how can we expect good from those who represents the similar mindset?

Speaking about department of Police, health or even education, nothing here is safe from the cancer of financial wrongdoings. The common man cannot even register his FIR without making his pocket light. Those who are responsible of public’s safety and rights are themselves a lethal threat against those they are responsible for. Where doctors treat patients as customers and ask for the fee before even the diagnosis of the disease, that horse trading stuff looks nothing absurd. Schools of public sector, by and large, are dead. Parents rush towards private schools to educate their children; but again the people in charge there remain ready to snatch the larger portion of the parents’ income. This ugly outlook of our society strengthens those who sit on the helm of affairs, to not only enrich themselves but to think of themselves alone.

This selfish attitude was vividly evident in this Senate polling. Parliament members decided to go with their potential future, rather than to vote their respective party candidates. Apparently, PPP have benefitted a lot from internal conflicts of PTI and MQM-P. With two seats from KPK assembly and around four seats from Sindh assembly, explaining how distance from party policy can make you farther from your ideology. Game is still on as far as numbers are concerned for the leader of the house. With Independents winning from Baluchistan and rest of assemblies, we will further see the battle of power and lust for currency. With this ‘for sale’ faithfulness, how and what can we expect regarding positive and prospective legislation?

This Senate election clearly exposed the pursuit of “Naya Pakistan”, or the slogan of “Roti, Kapra, Makaan” or the proclamation of “Taraqqi Ki tarafgaamzan Pakistan”. When the value of a vote is mere a plate of ‘biryani’ or when educated fraternity has got the opinion that “government has done or invested a lot, so what is wrong when they have plundered some public money in the process?”, culture as a whole needs a paradigm shift.

Democracy is not just the name of getting done with the elections and smooth shift of power (which majority people think) but to legislate effectively, to shut every possible door of corruption and wrongdoings. If this situation sustains, this market will get bigger and better, buyers will find appropriate sellers and the so-called democracy will stand limping.